American Association Of Colleges Of Nursing Research Articles

Curriculum mapping for AACN Essentials 2021 Adoption: Experiences of a faculty domain team in evolving understanding of person-centered care

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) periodically updates its Essentials guidelines to evolve nursing curriculum to meet global healthcare demands. The AACN 2021 Essentials outline core competencies that address diverse patient needs and promote safe and effective nursing care. Curriculum mapping is used to align nursing programs with the AACN Essentials. The purpose of this qualitative focus group was to engage faculty in identifying and describing the competencies and sub-competencies of AACN 2021 Essentials Domain Two, Person-Centered Care (PCC), through the application of an interactive activity within a domain team. The interactive activity involved faculty members reflecting on their perspectives by writing down their interpretation of PCC on flower petals. These petals were arranged onto a unified flower display representing the department's view on Person-Centered Care. This exploration occurred during a one-day curriculum mapping at Kennesaw State University Wellstar School of Nursing in North-Central Georgia. Data was obtained using the flower petal activity with a sample size of 24. A thematic analysis revealed that (n = 13) of faculty responded with an action term, 33% (n = 8) of faculty responded with an attitude term, and 13% (n = 3) of faculty responded with both action and attitude terms when describing their perception of the PCC domain. The results indicated that most faculty view the PCC domain in terms of attitudes more than demonstrable action. These findings may be used to encourage faculty to incorporate more attitude-based learning strategies into their courses while adopting the AACN 2021 Essentials.

The Pathway to Developing a Competency-based Tool for Entry-level Nursing Simulation: A Delphi Study

BackgroundSimulation-based learning experiences allow undergraduate nursing students to develop competence and confidence through deliberate practice with immediate feedback on the learner's performance through debriefing. With the transition to competency-based nursing education, nursing faculty need more guidance in implementing competency-based evaluations in the simulation setting. PurposeThis Delphi study aims to inform the future development of a competency-based tool – SimComp – based on the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials. MethodsA Delphi framework was used to recruit expert nursing faculty to complete the surveys via an online platform. Data analysis occurred through open-ended questions and quantitative methods to ensure that the responses from expert panelists were used to form the results. ResultsAfter four rounds of this Delphi study, a consensus was achieved on 111 appropriate items for assessing competence in the simulation-based learning environment. ConclusionWhile further research is warranted, this study provides insight for nursing institutions considering implementing or increasing the use of simulation within their program for competency-based evaluations.

A stepwise approach to integrating the new essentials into a master's entry nursing curriculum

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) released updated nursing curriculum Essentials in 2021. The new Essentials document reflects an innovative and unique approach to nursing education and provides a framework for competency-based education and assessment to prepare students to work in a profession that is ever-changing.The first in the state of Oregon, a Masters Entry into Professional Nursing program was launched with a curriculum based on the new Essentials with the goal to remain true to the program's current concept-based approach while incorporating elements of a competency-based curriculum. As with all new programs, curricular design is paramount and requires careful planning to ensure the curriculum aligns with education trends, meets the needs of diverse learners, adheres to regulatory requirements and standards, and has strong faculty buy-in.Curriculum development done in a systematic fashion with faculty input is imperative. All current faculty were invited by the school of nursing (SON) leadership to participate in the curriculum development process. Regularly scheduled meetings were held, and all interested faculty participants were able to provide input. This process also included the SON Curriculum Committee and SON Faculty Council, to ensure all faculty were included in the process and appraised of the curriculum development. The faculty members who participated in the systematic development process then served as advocates for the new curriculum and helped create a smooth transition when the new MEPN program was introduced.

Nurse practitioner education: Uniting the 2021 essentials with The Core Competencies on Disability Health Care Education.

People with disabilities (PWD) are the largest minority group in the world, making up 16% of the world's population, an estimated 1.3 billion people. People with disabilities die earlier, have poorer health outcomes, and are more affected by emergencies and natural disasters. Factors contributing to health inequities can be characterized as socioeconomic, political, involve social determinants of health, include higher risk factors, and display a wide spectrum of health system barriers. Too often, health care training programs exclude specific standards for disability training. By mapping the new American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Education with The Core Competencies for Disability Health Care Education , we can provide a synergistic relationship that will prepare future advanced practice nurses to provide effective care to people with disabilities across the lifespan and in every delivery care system.

Educational strategies to implement domains 2, 6 and 10 of the 2021 AACN core competencies

This article features strategies to instruct the competencies in Domains 2, 6 and 10, i.e., respectively, Person-Centered Care, Interprofessional Partnership, and Personal, Professional, and Leadership Development, of American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) 2021 core competencies for entry- and advanced-level psychiatric mental health nursing courses. These three Domains feature scientific knowledge, effective communication skills and collaboration with patients and other healthcare professionals in diverse clinical situations, and lifelong learning and leadership, which are essential in nursing practice. The creative examples for AACN Domains 2, 6 and 10 offered in this article can help faculty to more effectively prepare both entry- and advanced-level nursing students for evolving clinical practices.

The ACCN Core Essentials’ Impact on Practice Partners and Academia: What Nurse Leaders Need to Know

In 2021, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) released a revision to the competencies for nursing education, which provides a framework for nursing curricula at the prelicensure and graduate levels. This new framework will impact both academia and practice partners. This article provides a general overview of the framework, competency-based education, and the impact on both academia and practice partners so that nurse leaders will understand these changes and their impact on the workforce.

Exploring Clinical Practice Hours in Postbaccalaureate-to-Doctor of Nursing Practice Nurse Practitioner Programs.

Advanced practice nursing education is evolving to the doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) DNP Essentials required 1000 hours of direct patient care, whereas the Report of the National Task Force on Quality Nurse Practitioner Education (NTF) Criteria for Evaluation of Nurse Practitioner Programs required 500 direct patient care hours. Indirect hours were unclear and undefined. The AACN Essentials changed the 1000-hour requirement to 500 practice hours, and the NTF increased the direct patient care hours to 750. The study sought to describe the distribution of direct and indirect hours that the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties member schools offer in their seamless postbaccalaureate-to-DNP nurse practitioner (NP) program. A quantitative survey was distributed to schools of nursing. Eighty-six surveys represented 86 distinct schools and 112 NP programs. Supervised direct patient care hours were an average of 791.31 hours. Indirect hours averaged 170.08 hours. The DNP project hours served as an indirect hour activity. Many schools have more than 750 direct hours adhering to the 2022 NTF Standards. The indirect hour allocation varies and weighs heavily on the DNP project.

Introduction to digital health course

Digital health is health care delivery that connects and empowers people and populations to manage health and wellness through technology. This mode of health care delivery has increased exponentially since the COVID-19 pandemic with most hospitals and health systems offering digital health services. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) published The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education which digital health education helps to partially meet four of these competencies. It is imperative graduate nursing education prepare future advanced practice registered nurses for practice in the evolving health care field. The purpose of this article is to share how to implement a graduate level digital health course for advanced practice registered nursing students.

The QSEN Competency Legacy Threaded Through the Entry-Level AACN Essentials: Shaping the Future.

For the last 17 years, the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) prelicensure competencies and knowledge, skill, and attitude (KSA) statements were integrated into nursing curricula. With the publication of the competency-based American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials , it is important to determine the overlap of the QSEN competencies. We developed a QSEN-AACN prelicensure crosswalk to help faculty map and integrate the 2021 AACN Essentials into their curriculum. The 6 QSEN competencies match to the 10 AACN Essentials domains except for evidence-based practice, which is listed as a concept. Fifty graduate-level QSEN KSAs were found to better align with prelicensure education and therefore important to integrate into the crosswalk. All but 1 of the original prelicensure QSEN KSA statements and all but 2 of the 50 transferred graduate-level QSEN KSAs were found in the AACN Essentials . Faculty implementing the QSEN framework can use the QSEN-AACN competency crosswalk and QSEN teaching strategies to guide their AACN Essentials journey.

Population Health Projects: An Innovative Teaching Strategy for Baccalaureate Nursing Education

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education (2021) include a Population Health domain. Future nurses well-versed in the social determinants of health are poised to be leaders, creating change to improve the lives of vulnerable populations. The Population Health Project (PHP) is an innovative learning experience, immersing student nurses in authentic interactions that impact the communities they partner with. Baccalaureate nursing students, during their Population Health course, work in groups to produce innovative, community-focused PHPs, successfully incorporating the AACN competencies.Students identify issues impacting the wellbeing of their assigned population; these issues become the focus of their PHP. They engage with community stakeholders, including their patients, policy makers, and community partners to develop evidence-based and sustainable projects. PHPs focus on reducing health disparities and address priorities important to communities, including concepts of diversity, inclusion, and equity. Examples of long-term impacts of PHPs include: legislative change – a new law mandating pharmacies provide prescription labels in a language the patient can understand; innovative policies – initiating efforts to create a hospice for unhoused patients; and new service provision programs – teaming with a fire department to co-develop a home-visiting program to reduce non-emergent 911 calls.

Incorporating the Transitional Care Model within NP program curricula to achieve care coordination competency

PurposeEducation for nurse practitioners (NPs) requires knowledge and skill acquisition for managing transitions in care, especially among older adults with complex care needs. A team of nurse researchers and educators provided a competency-based approach for educating future NPs on the care delivery of older adults using the Transitional Care Model's (TCM) evidence-based interventions. MethodsNP faculty integrated an online course offering didactic teaching that would enhance clinical learning. The online content included a case study of an NP navigating an older adult through transitions in care. Students completed evidence-based interventions with patients while in their clinical rotations. ResultsUsing the structured and purposeful interventions within the clinical practicum provided exposure to and experience with the application of the model's nine components. NP students applied knowledge and demonstrated skills through direct care experiences in the clinical setting. This learning supports the achievement of advanced nursing practice competencies depicted in the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN)'s The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education (2021). ConclusionsThis is one example of how a NP program integrates evidence-based interventions to ensure that NP graduates are well-positioned and ready for managing transitions of complex care for older adults.

Incorporating the AACN Essentials 'spheres of care' into nursing curricula.

In 2021 the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) published new education standards for nursing programs offering degrees at the baccalaureate-level and higher. The new standards, The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education (AACN, 2021), represent an educational shift and an opportunity to transform the nursing profession through a better-prepared workforce. One important new standard that must be incorporated for entry-level (Level 1) programs is preparation for practice within four spheres of care. This article will provide clarity and context to the concept of "spheres of care" with suggestions regarding ways to incorporate this educational expectation within the curriculum.

Demetrius Porche, DNS, RN, CS, FNP

Demetrius Porche is currently the Dean of Louisiana State University (LSU) Health Sciences Center School of Nursing (HSC SON) in New Orleans. Demetrius’ long and successful career has ranged from rebuilding the School of Nursing after Hurricane Katrina to leading national efforts to support both community and men’s health. He is a confident, innovative leader; a generous mentor; and a strong partner to nurse leaders in the practice arena. Among many volunteer leadership roles, Dr. Porche has served as president of the Louisiana State Board of Nursing, president of the American Assembly for Men in Nursing, member of the Governing Council of the American Public Health Association, and currently serves on the board of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). Demetrius has been inducted as a fellow in the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, the American Academy of Nursing, and National League for Nursing. He has been the associate editor of the Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care and currently is the chief editor of American Journal of Men’s Health. Demetrius Porche is currently the Dean of Louisiana State University (LSU) Health Sciences Center School of Nursing (HSC SON) in New Orleans. Demetrius’ long and successful career has ranged from rebuilding the School of Nursing after Hurricane Katrina to leading national efforts to support both community and men’s health. He is a confident, innovative leader; a generous mentor; and a strong partner to nurse leaders in the practice arena. Among many volunteer leadership roles, Dr. Porche has served as president of the Louisiana State Board of Nursing, president of the American Assembly for Men in Nursing, member of the Governing Council of the American Public Health Association, and currently serves on the board of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). Demetrius has been inducted as a fellow in the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, the American Academy of Nursing, and National League for Nursing. He has been the associate editor of the Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care and currently is the chief editor of American Journal of Men’s Health. Marla J. Weston, PhD, RN, FAAN, is chief executive officer at Weston Consulting LLC in Washington, DC. She can be reached at [email protected]

A crosswalk of foundational BSN population health documents and the AACN essentials.

To guide the development of entry-level nursing education, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) published the Essentials document in 2021 with a broadened scope of competencies. Community, population, and public health (CPPH) nurse educators use a number of foundational documents to crosswalk for gaps in the AACN principles, highlighting the need of including these contemporary documents within the baccalaureate CPPH nursing curriculum. In this crosswalk, the authors highlight important capabilities and knowledge exclusive to these fundamental documents and tools, as well as the relevance of these competencies and knowledge to CPPH baccalaureate nursing education.

Development and Implementation of an Academic and Professional Nursing Organization Partnership to Enhance Leadership Skills and Knowledge About HIV-Related Nursing Care Among Diverse, Prelicensure, Clinical Nurse Leader Scholars.

Historically, racial discrimination, few role models, and a general lack of support both in academic and professional contexts has hindered the education and career advancement of minority nursing students. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), in its G uiding Principles for Academic-Practice Partnerships , describes the creation of an academic-professional nursing organization partnership to address barriers to the success of nursing students from underrepresented groups. In keeping with the AACN's guiding principles, the University of Maryland School of Nursing and the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (ANAC) developed a partnership to deliver a multifaceted program for prelicensure, second-degree, Master of Science in Nursing, Clinical Nurse Leader Scholars which prepares them to address the health care needs of people living with HIV/AIDS and bolsters student leadership knowledge and skills. The objective of this article is to describe the program components, outcomes, and lessons learned from this academic-professional nursing organization partnership. The approach described may be useful for future partnerships designed to enhance leadership experiences and skills for minority nursing students and will hopefully be used to advocate for their success.

Teaching nursing within a population health context: From concept to exemplars.

As researchers in the health sciences improve their understanding of the underlying causes of poor health to include non-medical factors, nursing practice must expand and adapt to enable nurses to effectively contribute to population health improvement. The concept of population health has been incorporated into the current American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education (2021) as a set of competencies for nurses at entry and advanced levels. This article provides a description of these competencies, and exemplars of how to include them meaningfully in nursing curricula at the entry level.

Debates as an Active Learning Strategy to Enhance Students' Knowledge of Ethics in Professional Nursing Practice and Health Care.

Ethical debates as an active learning strategy encourage students to think critically through complex ethical issues while using evidence-based literature to compare views and support decision-making actions that affect patient outcomes. The current complexity of health care implies that nurses will continue to encounter ethical dilemmas that demand essential knowledge of ethical principles, critical thinking strategies, and practical communication skills. Student groups were assigned a health care-related ethical issue and collaborated to present their pro or con position. The American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Baccalaureate Essentials guided the structure of the student debates. Utilizing the ANA Code and AACN Essentials as supportive frameworks to guide students' ethical debate preparation and execution enhanced students' knowledge and supported their critical thinking about ethical issues in health care.

American Association of Colleges of Nursing: New Essentials, Quality and Safety Domain.

Since 1986, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) has published its Essentials, a framework to guide all levels of nursing education and practice. This brief overview will describe the latest AACN Essentials.

Death of the discussion board: Integration of online competency-based assessment in graduate nursing programs

Changes in the educational landscape and evolving parameters from academic accreditation partners require an evaluation of current pedagogical practices in graduate nursing education. Online educational platforms have grown in popularity, with 71 % of post-baccalaureate students reporting one or more online courses (NCES, 2022). Preparing nurses at the graduate level, proficient, and work-ready at an advanced level is a goal for graduate education. Accomplishing this goal requires increased faculty and student engagement levels in the online environment. In April 2021, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) approved new nursing education standards requiring nursing schools to adopt a competency-based framework. The requirements are the same for online and face-to-face course designs. Therefore, intentionally designed online courses with activities and assignments that meet the criteria for competency-based outcome criteria must be developed. Passive learning activities, including exams, reading assignments, formal/information papers, and even discussion boards, will require adjustments to meet the requirements of a competency-based outcome framework.

A Critical Discourse Analysis of AACN’s Tool Kit of Resources for Cultural Competent Education for Baccalaureate Nurses

American institutions of nursing education have integrated cultural competence as a pillar approach to addressing health disparities. The theoretical frameworks, priorities, and solutions that national organizations pursue and endorse have far-reaching implications. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) is one such organization. The purpose of this project was to critically analyze the AACN’s Tool Kit of Resources for Cultural Competent Education for Baccalaureate Nurses to excavate dynamics related to language, power, and inequality. Findings of this critical discourse analysis indicate: (1) the centrality of the AACN’s assumed authority and lack of relationality with readers, (2) nursing insularity and narrow theorization of culture and power, and (3) the harm of whiteness and colonialism as pedagogy. Accountability and repair include transparency, taking note of resources and viewpoints available and endorsed on organization websites, and updating (or refuting) outdated and harmful approaches.